


Hunting Vegas

by SalazarTipton



Category: Criminal Minds, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Case Fic, M/M, Secret Relationship, Spencer is a mutant, Work In Progress, first Remy fic so dialogue may be off, sorrrrrryyyyyy, spencer-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-02 11:02:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4057540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/SalazarTipton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After four teens exhibiting mutant abilities show up dead in Las Vegas, the team is finally called in to help stopper the crimes and the hysteria building in the city. The location and victim-ology hitting home for Spencer leads him to call in a favor to someone the team doesn't know about--and he hopes they never will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“We have another,” Hotch said while he power-walked into the conference room.

“That walk never means good things,” Garcia said.

“Guess I’ll let Will know I’m not coming home tonight,” JJ said. She took out her phone and started texting on her way to the round table.

“Bad guys need to learn that taking a break is good for the soul,” Rossi said, following. “This is the third case in a row without a night in my own king sized bed with Egyptian cotton sheets and—“

“First I think you need to learn to take a break,” Morgan retorted as they entered the room. “How many vacation days do you have racked up?”

“Oh hush,” Rossi said. They all sat down and faced the screen where Hotch and…Reid were standing.

“Since when do you present cases, Pretty Boy?”

“Since when do you interrupt case presentations, Morgan?”

Reid and Hotch explained that four teens of all different demographics had gone missing on Tuesday nights and found dead in various public locations on Sunday mornings. Each with scorch marks, bites, and slices all over their bodies. Las Vegas police hadn’t contacted the BAU over the month of finding bodies until the last one found was a well-known lacrosse player for one of the local high schools.

“Why wouldn’t they contact us before all this? One teen missing is usually enough for someone to at least give us a phone call. But four dead? What were they thinking?” Morgan said, flipping through the file. Reid cleared his throat.

“They were all starting to exhibit mutations,” he said low. He was holding his elbows with his arms across his chest. He wouldn’t take his eyes off the school pictures of the kids.

“Since it’s already Monday we need to get out there ASAP,” Hotch said to the team. “Wheels up in 30.”

* * *

 

“Alright, my loves, it looks like you are heading into not murky, but damn near opaque waters out there. Governor Keets is currently pushing a bill where all kids entering public schools would have to be tested for the mutant gene before being allowed to enter the education system. She wants all mutants to have a separate school system—or where it can’t be afforded, a segregated school.” Garcia explained via webcam.

“Can I hear a Milliken v. Bradley up in here?” Morgan muttered.

“Looks like Las Vegas hasn’t been taking too kindly to mutants. Over the past two years more and more are on the victim end of hate crimes which less and less of are being solved or investigated.”

“Vegas has never been big on mutants even before they were common knowledge,” Reid chimed in.

“Detective Douglas will be meeting you at the police station. I’ll let you know when I’ve found some treasure in these opaque waters.” The connection stopped.

“I want Morgan and Reid to go to the first dump site where Ray Withers was found last month. Rossi and Prentiss, you’ll go to the most recent where Ivy Legg was found. JJ, you’ll come with me to the station for setup and do a damage check on the media. They found out this case involves mutants this morning when we were called in.”

“Great,” JJ sighed. “I can see this one is gunna be so easy.”

* * *

 

Reid and Morgan walked over one of the FBI cars waiting on the tarmac.

“If you think you’re driving you have another thing coming to you,” Reid said, running to the driver’s side.

“I don’t wanna die on the way to the crime scene, thank you very much. I can get us there no problem,” Morgan said, hands on hips.

“Please, this is my hometown. Like I’d let you drive me anywhere here.” Morgan huffed, getting in the passenger side. He made a big show out of putting his seatbelt on, check the safety handles on the ceiling, door, and in front of him.

“You act like I’m reckless. All I do is take the most efficient route at the most efficient speed.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Reid started the engine and peeled out.

“Did I just hear a faint scream of terror?” JJ asked with a smile.

“I would never let that boy drive me anywhere,” Prentiss said from behind her.

After arriving at the station, Detective Douglas showed them around and filled JJ in on the media situations.

“And how’s the situation here in the station?” Hotch asked. “I know not many people agree on this issue.” Douglas sighed and rubbed his bald patch.

“Some of the guys think the mutants are the source of all our problems and some say it’s in our oath to protect them just like anybody else. The Chief tends to keep her thoughts on the subject close to the chest, if you know what I mean,” he explained.

“And where do you stand?” Hotch insisted.

“Well, these kids didn’t deserve what they got and whoever is capable of something like that shouldn’t be walking around our city. Simple as that,” Douglas said. “I’ll go put on a fresh pot of coffee. Figure we may need it.”

* * *

 

The first victim, Withers, was dumped in a fountain along the strip. He was splayed-out face-up in the water wearing the clothes he was last seen wearing. There were video cameras all around, but somehow none of them caught the face of the Unsub.

“Hey, Baby Girl,” Morgan said into his phone.

“Oh my chocolate Adonis! I thought you’d never call!”

“Please, when do I ever leave you hanging?”

“True…what have you got for me?”

“Reid and I are at the first dump site and we can see at least three cameras around here. Think you can get ahold of the footage and work some sweet magic for me?”

“I’m appalled that you have to ask. I’ll ring you back with all my magical wonder ready.” Morgan locked his screen and put the phone back in his pocket.

“An area with this much traffic is a hard place to go unnoticed with a body,” Morgan said.

“Very true. Maybe that’s why out Unsub is disposing of the bodies early Sunday mornings. The strip is pretty calm then.”

“Yeah, everybody recovering from the night before or just heading to bed around then.”

“Oh, do you speak from experience there, Morgan?” Reid chided.

* * *

 

“The media is going crazy with this assuming that a mutant is going crazy and murdering the poor, innocent youth of the city. Turns out whoever their source is never explained the kids were the mutants,” JJ explained to the team when everyone got back to the station.

“Oh great. Now the whole city is going to be blaming anyone they suspect as a mutant for this whole thing,” Prentiss said.

“If we don’t act fast, the hate crime rate is going to skyrocket,” Rossi said.

“JJ, setup a press conference for tonight. Say that we are looking for anyone with information about problematic individuals fitting the profile,” Hotch ordered.

“Won’t that just make people point out the mutants they’re afraid of?” JJ asked.

“Make sure to leave the word mutant out of it. Prescreen some journalists if you must. And tell people to take general precautions from dusk to morning.” JJ left, opening her phone. “Now, what did you find at the crime scenes?”

* * *

 

“Time to check into the hotel. Gather your things. We’ll meet at the cars in five,” Hotch said after three hours of taking calls from the hotlines and shooting off ideas for the profile. “Tomorrow we need to make sure we are all well-rested.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without telling the team, Reid calls in a "friend" to help with the investigation.

In order to stay close to the investigation, the team stayed in one of the small casino hotels just off the strip. No one spoke during the drive from the station. JJ texted Will goodnight, Morgan listened to his music and watched the lights flash by his window, Prentiss fiddled with her fingernails, Rossi and Hotchner paid close attention to the strip traffic they were navigating, and Reid took out his phone and texted for a rather long time.

After leaving the cars in the parking garage, they all huddled together in the busy hotel lobby while Hotch got their keys from the front desk. The bustle from the casino not fifteen feet away exaggerated their silence. Anyone that walked past could feel an awkward, tired vibe radiating off them. Spending this much consecutive time in the field was deffinatly taking its toll on the team.

After Hotch handed out the keycards, everyone scuttled away to their rooms either heading up the stairs or braving the elevator silence together. Spencer stayed behind, waiting for the team to be out of sight before walking up to the casino bouncer and showing his driver’s license. The man looked him up and down a long while before handing it back and letting him in. Sure, he looked young, but not _that_ young.

He made his way over to the poker table in the center and sat down next to a man with brown hair almost as long as his who wore large sunglasses and a shirt too tight for his arms and chest muscles.

“Y’ sure y’ can ‘andle playin’ _avec moi, cher_?” the man asked thickly as Spencer changed $200 with the dealer.

"Changing 200!" The dealer yelled to the floor manager.

“You’d be surprised what I can handle,” Spencer quipped back, smiling.

After an hour of switching between tables and back-and-forth winning streaks, the two left the floor to cash in their hefty earnings. The bouncer didn’t look too happy with how much Spencer was carrying out. The gambler followed Spencer all the way into the elevator.

“Floor?” Spencer asked, not turning around to face him. The man leaned in close.

“Whatev’r one your fine ass is sleepin’ on,” he whispered to him. Spencer just rolled his eyes before hitting the number six button.

When they got to Spencer’s room, he opened the door slowly without making any unnecessary noise. The team was probably already asleep and their rooms were next to each other’s. He ushered the other man in and sidled in after him, locking the door behind.

“Finally, ol’ Remy gets y’ to ‘imself,” the other man said, snaking his arms around Spencer’s middle and kissing lightly against the shorter man’s neck.

“If that’s what you’re planning, you should know Morgan is on the other side of that wall and Rossi, the other,” Spencer said. He turned around to face the taller man and hooked one arm around his neck, taking the sunglasses off with his other, revealing  red and black eyes.

“So, ‘ow can Remy ‘elp y’ dis time?”

“Fun first, then business.”

Remy leaned down and kissed Spencer hard and steady.

* * *

 

_Bang. Bang._

“That’s Hotch getting us all up,” Spencer mumbled into his pillow.

“De _homme_ is ‘till some doors down,” Remy sleepily replied, snuggling closer to Spencer. He kissed along his shoulder and up to his neck. “Y’ don’t ‘ave to be up dis early.”

_Bang. Bang._

“He’s almost here. That was Morgan’s door. I might as well start getting ready. I don’t even know where I set down my go-bag.”

“It’s by de door. Now shhhh.” Remy trailed off. He held onto Spencer tighter.

_Bang. Bang._

“Reid, downstairs in 15,” Hotch said on the other side of the door.

“Okay,” he yelled back. “See?” Spencer twisted awkwardly trying to face Remy. “Now, I have to get up. We sort of have this Unsub to catch.”

“Does dat ‘ave to ‘appen dis early, tho’?” Remy whined. Spencer gently ran his fingers through the man’s hair.

“Yes, it does. And you have some work of your own to get started on. Though, you do have to leave after me so there aren’t any questions and scolding. Not to mention teasing.”

“ _Je sais. Je sais, mon cher_.” Remy gave Spencer a small peck on the lips before releasing him from his grasp. Spencer kissed him back before getting up.

“ _J’aime_ de ass on y’,” Remy purred. He reached out and pitched Spencer. He let out a small yelp and jolted an inch away before laughing and covering his behind with his hands.

“Well, this ass of mine needs to get dressed and get to profiling. Let me know if you find anything out or need assistance, okay?”

“Oui, Remy’ll keep y’ informed.”

* * *

 “Good morning, _mes amies_! I was looking through the poor kids short, short histories trying to make some connections and found out that they all were somehow involoved—either through volunteer, parents forcing them, school appointed activities, and so on—with a local community center call Path Finders. I am sending the address to all of your phones and oooooooooooooof now!” Garcia said to the team via conference call.

“Thanks, Baby Girl.”

“Path Finders as been around for quite some time. Most teens in the area are probably involved in one way or another. When I lived here the schools had shuttles after school to here for kids whose parents wouldn’t be home, which was a lot of kids.

“Alright, Rossi and Prentiss can go check it out. See what people with no knowledge of the place make of it. Reid, I need you here working on the geographical profile of the abduction and dump sites. JJ, how do you think the press is—“ Hotchner and JJ walked out, talking.

Reid walked over to the map and picked up some whiteboard markers before going to work. Morgan flipped though the files on the table and told Reid specific times when each event occurred.

“The second victim, Jocelyn Perez, was abducted in the afternoon—not at night like the other three victims. What was so different about her?” Morgan asked aloud.

“She was walking home from Path Finders, according to her mother. Her home is in a very busy area, probably lots of witnesses,” Reid answering, still staring at the map.

“So, he stalked them. Why else would he take her at a time different from the rest?”

“Makes sense. That might also explain how he knew that they were mutants—if that was in fact why they were targeted,” Reid said. He set down his markers and stepped back. “Why I don’t understand is why there hasn’t been any experimentation or escalation. You would think that over the course of a month something would be different other than this one abduction time.”

Morgan’s phone started buzzing.

“Hey, Em. You’re on speaker. What’s up?”

“We just spoke with the youth adviser for the community center. He said that none of these kids showed up the week before they were taken.”

“That’s weird. Mrs. Perez said that’s where her daughter was walking home from the afternoon she was taken.”

“We gave the names of other kids that have been MIA lately to Garcia to see if she can come up with anything,” Rossi said.

“Could you guys send me that list, by chance?” Reid asked.

“Sure, kid. What are you thinking?” Rossi asked.

“Oh, nothing. I just, uh, think I might be able to do something with it.”

“We’ll let Hotch know when he comes back,” Morgan said. The phone clicked. “What are you thinking about the list?”

“I have a contact in the city right now that might be able to give us some insight,” Reid said. He walked out without saying anything else.

* * *

 “It’s eight and we haven’t heard about any kids going missing. Do you think he changed pattern because of the precautions we told people to take?” Prentiss asked.

“I’m not sure. Of course, some parents may not notice until that morning that their kid didn’t come home last night,” Morgan said.

Reid’s phone buzzed across the table. He picked it up and quickly read the message. He power walked out of the room and towards the front door.

“Reid, what’s going on?” Morgan asked, standing up. Reid just kept going.

The doors to the station opened slowly as he approached, but no one came in. He stepped out the door and turned down the street. The team quickly followed behind, trying to seem natural as to not alarm the officers watching them. They all stepped outside and walked down the same way they had seen Reid go.

“Pretty Boy?” Derek asked.

“Here,” Reid replied from down the alley.

“Spence, what are you doing out here?” JJ asked.

“I asked someone who can help to take a look at the names of the kids who hadn’t shown up to Path Finders lately and he’s found something,” Reid said flatly.

“But why are we out here?” Rossi asked.

“He doesn’t much like police. You’ll understand when you see him.”

Reid looked up the fire escape and down the alley, waiting.

“ _Cher_ , y’ ‘ave no idea what went down for my fine self to get ‘ere,” Remy said from behind him.

The whole team turned fast with their hands on their guns, alert and ready.

“Calm down, you guys,” Reid said to them all. “How’d it go with the kids?”

“Reid, I think an introduction is in order before we can calm down,” Hotch said.

“ _Moi_? I’m a friend to dis _homme_ ,” Remy said, taking of his glasses. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the alley. He slid them into his long jacket and leaned on his cane. “ _Vous_ can call _moi_ Gambit. C’est what _vous_ already know _moi_ as.”

“Wait, you’re friends with Gambit? As in X-Men and ex-con, Gambit?” Morgan asked. His perplexed look seemed to roll over onto the whole team’s faces.

“Yeah, you could call us friends,” Reid said, sending daggers at Remy with his eyes. “How about we find a better place to talk about all of this? We most likely seem rather suspicious. Especially since we did put the city on high alert yesterday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time trying to write Gambit. Please let me know what you think in the comments! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer and Remy take JJ and Morgan to a secret location they would have never thought existed let alone be an integral part to this case while Hotch tries to keep control of this city ready to burst into action.

“De place we’re goin’ won’t let all y’ in. JJ and Morgan, y’ll be fine, but the rest will ‘ave to stay back,” Remy said while examining his cane nonchalantly.

“Don’t worry, you guys, Detective Douglas would be a but concerned if everyone disappeared in the middle of the case, right? We’ll be back in a bit and then we can fill you in,” Reid said quickly.

The team reluctantly (and with a lot of questions and complaining) split up. Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss went back into the station. JJ and Morgan kept next to each other, still on edge.

“What is going on, Spence?” JJ asked.

“It’s a long story, but everything can be explained later. We have an Unsub to focus on,” Reid said. “Now, we better get going.”

After five horrifying minutes of Spencer’s driving through Vegas, Remy turned in his seat so as to face JJ and Morgan in the backseat.

“Y’r gunna ‘ave to put dese on,” he said, hanging them each hoods akin to burlap sacks.

“You have got to be kidding me! Reid, this is going well beyond ridiculous. Just tell us what is going on!” Morgan demanded.

“Sorry, Derek, but dis is all m’ call, not _cher_ ’s,” Remy said.

“And how do you know our names?”

“Morgan, please just put it on. It’s for their protection,” Reid said while he took a hard right turn, forcing Morgan to fall onto JJ.

* * *

“Everything okay out there?” Detective Douglas asked Hotch when they walked back in.

“No new developments,” Hotch covered. “Just having some unlikely leads checked out before morning. Best to be cautious.”

“Nice save, Aaron,” Rossi whispered as he passed.

He and Emily went into the conference room. She sat down and took out her phone, dialing Garcia.

“Please tell me another wasn’t taken,” Garcia said desperately.

“No news yet. What can you tell us about a mutant called Gambit?” Rossi asked.

“Gambit’s real name is Remy LeBeau and…oh damn! He is bad news as in no wifi connection bad! He was raised in New Orleans by thugs with quite a few run-ins with the law. Any by law I mean Will and Will’s father. They seem to have tried to bring him in for questioning multiple times, but LeBeau always managed to get away, probably because he’s a suspected member of The Thieves’ Guild. Are you kidding me? That’s an actual thing?” she blathered on.

“Okay, is there anything recent on him?” Emily asked.

“His last confirmed altercation was at a bar here in DC called the Queen’s Armada, but that was six months ago,” Garcia said. “Are you going to tell me how he is involved in all of this? I don’t like thinking my babies are going to face this bad-y.”

“We’ll let you know when we know, okay?”

“Vague, but I’ll take it until I get more coffee in me and store up the energy needed to prod and poke you guys for more info,” Garcia grumbled. The called ended.

Prentiss and Rossi turned as Hotch came in with Douglas behind him. Hotch strode forward, grabbed the remote, and turned on the news. The headline scrolling across the bottom read: ATTENTION ALL LAS VEGAS RESIDENCES: POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A POSSIBLE MUTANT IN REGARDS TO THE RECENT MURDERS OF FOUR LOCAL TEENS.

“Looks like JJ not mentioning the word mutant didn’t stop them from starting a manhunt,” Rossi said glumly as he leaned forward on the table.

“Since JJ’s preoccupied, I’m going to hold a press conference in hopes of extinguishing this. I want you two to focus on figuring out the Unsub’s trigger and possible motive for inflicting so much violence and suffering. That should be the key to finding this guy,” Hotch ordered. “Detective, would you mind contacting the local media outlets about the press conference? It needs to happen as soon as possible.”

“Not at all. I’m on it,” Douglas said, heading out of the room.

“Thank you,” he called after. “Now, what did you find out about this Gambit?”

* * *

“See? Dat wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Remy mocked Morgan when he finished putting on the hood. Morgan responded with a muffled grunt. JJ sat there quietly with her arms across her chest, until Reid took another hard turn sending her slamming into Morgan.

“Dammit, Spence!” She yelled.

“Sorry, I don’t really have much of an option. Maybe you two should buckle up and stay prepared for more sudden turns. There are still a few more coming up,” Spencer quickly said. His eyes darted over the traffic and his knuckles were almost white from his grip of the steering wheel. Remy slowly pried one of his hands off the wheel and ran his fingers softly over it, soothing him. Then, he placed his lips against each knuckle.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be there soon,” Remy mumbled against his lover’s skin.

A few minutes later, Spencer stopped the car. He and Remy jumped out before opening the back doors.

“You need to leave your weapons, phones, and government credentials here in the car,” Spencer said to the both of them.

“Reid, I am not going in wherever this is unarmed! It’s not gunna happen!” Morgan announced. He instinctively put a hand on his sidearm—causing Remy to take a step back.

“Den y’ ain’t goin’ nowhere, _homme,_ ” Remy said. “Dis is fer deir safety, not y’rs.”

“Who is this _they_ that you keep talking about?” JJ asked.

“You guys, we don’t have time for this. You’ll be safe. Trust me on this one,” Spencer begged of them.

After a bit more grumbling, JJ and Morgan got out of the car, leaving their creds, phones, guns, and holsters inside. They were lead up a ramp and through metal double doors. They could see through the bottom of the hoods that the floor was blank, standard concrete. They stopped at the end of the hallway and heard a button be pressed. Ding, pause. Ding, pause. Ding…

“An elevator?” JJ asked. Almost in response, the doors clinked opened in front of them.

Spencer and Remy didn’t say anything as they had the two hooded agents step into the elevator. They heard the doors clink closed and a speaker crackle on.

“Password?” a female voice asked.

“Ivy,” Remy responded. The elevator started to descend slowly.

“That’s the name of the latest victim,” Morgan said.

“Not’ing gets passed y’, now does it?” Remy scoffed. He was just about done with Morgan. One more snide remark or bit of resistance and he’d have to give the man a lesson in consequences and manners. Damn, when did he start sounding like such an old man? The elevator dinged and the doors opened.

“How much longer until we can take these damn things off?” JJ asked after she tripped over the lip if the elevator.

“Not too long,” Spencer said, guiding them down the hall. Remy stepped in front to open another set of double doors and ushered them in.

“Y’ can take dem off now,” Remy said.

JJ and Morgan quickly ripped them off and blinked hard at the chance in light. They all stood on a metal balcony that wrapped around the large space in front of them. Over the railing, they could see what looked like two multi-purpose courts below with lines painted for basketball, tennis, soccer, and so on. There were a handful of kids running around on them, but they weren’t playing a sport JJ nor Morgan recognized. Each kid had on a pair of goggles and vests similar to those worn during laser tag.

“What is this place? A gym?” JJ wondered aloud.

On the sides of the section down below there were three doorways that look like locker room entrances; one had a women’s sign, one a men’s sign, and the last a triangle. The far wall was mostly glass showing part of a swimming pool and a kid diving from the side. Up on the balcony level, there was a viewing area with benches, what must be the pool viewing area through a glass door that was a little steamed up, and a couple windowed doors along the sides. One of them opened and a man stepped out.

He was much taller than the average guy—maybe 6’5”—and all muscle. His tan skin seemed to have a marble-esque finish over it. His hair was blonde and cropped close to his massive head. He was wearing sweats and running shoes.

“Ah, I was wondering when you would show up,” he said, walking down the balcony towards them. “I can see you two seem a bit confused. Sorry about all the cloak and dagger stuff. Better to be safe in these times.”

“Well, I’d say you’ve got a good sense, but it isn’t too difficult to deduce that,” JJ said bluntly. “What is this place?”

“Why don’t we debrief in my office? Then we can talk with the kids,” the man said, motioning for them to lead the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think and where you think it's going! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ and Morgan get a hint as to what is going on with Reid and this case.

Emily and David had been shooting off ideas while they looked over Reid’s geographic profile for about an hour. Hotch was still off trying to calm down the press and the officers insisting all of this was the mutants’ fault. Emily went and made a fresh pot of coffee. When she came back with a mug in each hand she saw Rossi had moved from the table to closely look over the evidence board covered in maps, crime scene photos, and school pictures of the victims.

“I know that look,” she said before setting down the coffees on the conference table. “What are you thinking?”

“The first murder doesn’t feel like a first murder, I know we already profiled that, but there’s more that’s bothering me,” Rossi said.

“Like what exactly?”

“Well, there were no hesitation marks of any kind and the grab was just as clean as the rest. No witnesses, no discernable evidence left behind. That on top of no escalation in the time or severity of the violence?”

“You think he’s done this before, which we already profiled, and has another agenda hence the no escalation?” Emily asked. She stepped up to the board and looked over the map.

“I think _they_ have done this before. This seems missions oriented and organized. There isn’t time between grabs to both stalk the next target and inflict that much damage on the current one and still stay on track.”

“You’re right. One person couldn’t handle all of that by their self. It could be a hate group. Maybe the current political situation with Governor Keets set them on a mission to clean up—that or convice the people that mutants really do need to be segregated from everyone else,” Prentiss said, crossing her arms over her chest. She dialed Garcia.

“Hello, mortals. How can the Great Garcia assist you this time?” She answered.

“Hey, Garcia. Could you look into the area for any active hate groups in the past six months or so?”

Tap tap. Tap tap.

“Well, other than your friendly neighborhood KKK chapter—heavy sarcasm intended—there is one church that is very against gay rights, but that’s about it on the official stuff. Unaffiliated hate crimes have been all over the place in the past few months, as we know. And if I dig a little deeper in the area where all this stuff is going down now and broaden the time period we have,” she dragged out as she typed and sifted through the information, “a pastor’s son who was beaten to death in an alleyway six months ago. I’m sending the file to your tablets now.”

“Did they have any suspects?” Rossi asked as he picked up the tablet and unlocked the screen.

“Suspected gang involvement, but the file seems pretty light seeing as this wasn’t just a mutant hate crime, but the son of a seemingly well-loved pastor.

“What’s the name of the pastor?”

* * *

 

“Take a seat, you two,” the sizeable man said to Morgan and JJ as he sat down behind his desk. They sat in the folding chairs across from him. The room would fit right in at a high school gym: there were pictures of sports teams, some medals neither JJ nor Derek recognized as official sports, a metal desk with some filing cabinets behind, and this large, muscular man with a stern face. The only part out of the ordinary was his skin. If you didn’t look to close, it just looked like olive-tones skin with oddly visible veins, but closer inspection revealed that his skin looked like living marble—as if The Thinker had stood up and become a gym teacher.

“I’m Trey,” the marble-man said once seated. “I run this place. Spencer and his…” he paused, glancing between JJ and Morgan, “his friend let me know that you were coming and why, but they left out your names.”

“I’m SSA Derek Morgan and this is SSA Jennifer Jareau,” Derek said. He still hadn’t lost his apprehensive manner and the man calling Reid by his first name only rose more questions in his mind about this whole place and this man.

“JJ for short,” she interjected. “Trey, you said you run the place, but we don’t know exactly what _this_ place is,” she motioned around the office.

“Ah, well, welcome to the Las Vegas MYC, Mutant Youth Center, agents. You can understand why all the sneaky, dodgy spy stuff. Especially in Nevada right now and with feds,” he said. He pulled his face into a wince on the last word.

“You said the Las Vegas MYC. There are more of these?” Morgan asked.

“Yes, we have a presence in about 30 states and some other countries, but I can’t give you any names. With all of the prejudice and hate our kind face every day, we wanted to make sure our youth had a place of safety, love, and support—a community to help them through. We also help them understand and control their powers in a safe environment so they won’t accidently hurt themselves or anyone else. We also encourage the kids to push the boundaries of their abilities during those sessions. We don’t want them to think they have to hide and suppress what makes them unique. They need to know—from their own—that there is nothing wrong with them and that they aren’t monsters,” Trey explained. It sounded a bit like a parent-teacher conference, but it was a concise explanation.

“Sounds like you’re doing a lot of good for these kids,” JJ said.

“We try, but lately that’s not enough. As you know what’s been going on, you can imagine how on-edge we all are—mentors and kids alike. Each one of the kids that were—“ he halted at the word: killed. He sniffed and put a giant hand to his mouth. Clearly, this hit him very hard. “—were a part of our program. Most of them had just joined except for Ivy, she was the once who brought them here. Her brother came in a few years back for some help and when Ivy started showing signs, he brought her here. She wanted to help others the way her brother did.”

“Where is her brother now? We thought all she had was her dad?” JJ asked gently.

“He was killed a few months back. Beaten up. The cops said it was gang whatever, but the pastor never believed that. He knows all about us and wanted to make sure we could keep an eye on Ivy for him. Being a single parent, he didn’t have much time to make sure she was growing up right—especially after losing his son.” Trey got up and started pacing his office. Derek and JJ stiffened up. “After the Jocelyn, we knew what was going on. The kids started spending more time here than at home. The parents were getting annoyed—the ones who don’t know what this place really is. Then we asked the informed parents if it would be okay for their kids to stay here until all this stops. Most of them agreed—not Pastor Legg, though. He wanted Ivy to be with him. Couldn’t protect his first so he would protect her, I guess. After we got word of what happened to her, all the parents let their kids stay here. When they need to leave for school or something they have to go in groups with a mentor and only during the day. We’re trying to keep these kids safe, but we can’t keep this up forever. I’m not doing enough.” Trey slumped back into his chair and worried his lip.

“You’re doing all you can to protect these kids. We can tell you really care about them and their wellbeing. Because of what you’re doing another child wasn’t taken tonight. Let us catch this guy,” Derek said.

Trey looked him dead in the eye and nodded. The motion let some of the tears that hugged his waterline fall onto his cheeks.

“How can I help?”

* * *

 

Spencer and Remy went through one of the side doors and down the stairwell the door revealed. Remy stepped in front of Spencer before they reached the bottom. With him on the lower step, Spencer was the taller one for once. Remy put his hands on each railing, blocking off anyway for Spencer to get around him. He sighed.

“Don’t y’ sigh at Remy. We need to talk ‘bout dis, _cher_.” Spencer rolled his eyes.

“What is there to talk about? We’re working the case and this is a nessecary part of it.” He tried to step past Remy, but the Cajun was having none of it.

“ _Exactement_ , we are working de case. _We_. As in y’ and myself. _Avec_ y’r team. Dis is a big deal, Spencer. Y’ know dey are going to find out about everything,” Remy said. He leaned his cane against the railing and cupped Spencer’s face in his hands. “Are y’ okay with dat?”

“No, I’m not okay with that, but what choice do I have? Besides, they would have found out at some point or another. Plus, I’d rather have all this go down while you’re right here with me.” Spencer leaned into his touch and put his hands on Remy’s hips. “If it all goes bad, I wouldn’t be able to handle it without you by my side.”

“If dat happens, Remy can ‘ave y’ out of dere in less den _un minute_. And I’ll keep y’ safe even if y’ fight ol’ Remy on it.” Seemingly satisfied with what was said, Remy stepped down a step, grabbed his cane and continued down the stairs and back into the main gym.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Sorry for the slow updates. I'm trying to get better. Let me know what you think! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy convinces Spencer to help him pass the time while Trey explains the MYC to JJ and Morgan.

Spencer and Remy stepped out into the main gym. In front of them were the small bleachers where all the spectators to the current match were sitting. The four on the court were running about and dodging invisible attacks. Each kid had their goggles on. Spencer walked over to the metal cabinet on the wall and grabbed two pairs from the "Adult" shelf. After handing one to Remy, Spencer strapped his on.

From the score floating on the bottom of the heads up display, they could see the yellow team was destroying the blue team by seven. "Their defense is awful," Remy whispered.

"The best defense is a good offense," Spencer retorted.

"Dat's 'orrible as well. I'm not seeing a mentor anywhere to whip dem into shape," Remy said.

"Must just be Trey for the night. Have to imagine with all the security details they need their rest. That can take a lot out of someone that's not used to it."

They watched as the leader of the yellow team sent a pixelated energy ball into the back of the blue team leader. The digital court obstacles collapsed and their screens flashed the results: YELLOW 10, BLUE 2...YELLOW WINS. The kids shook hands, laughed, and some bumped chests. Everybody started taking off third goggles, Spencer and Remy included. The blue team leader made eye contact with them and smiled. Remy walked out onto the court.

"Nice job, _jaune_. _Bleu_ , y' need to stay aggressive. None of dem are going to be hurt be dis so don't back off when y' have a chance for an attack. Letting up gives them back de advantage and in de field, it'll get all of y' killed, _oui_?" Remy said. Some of the kids kept their eyes down and nodded. Others made small murmurs of "yes, coach." Spencer smirked at them. He knew it wasn't fun to be criticized, especially by Remy.

"Now, some of y' may have seen us come in wit two others. Dey work with Dr. Reid." He motioned to Spencer who stepped out onto the court and waved. Remy made sure to draw out his name. " _Dr. Reid_ and dose people are from de FBI. Dey are 'ere about de attacks. In front of de other agents y' call us Gambit and Dr. Reid, _d'accord_?"

The kids nodded and mumbled amongst themselves.

"Hey, guys. I know it's weird and hard to call somebody something different all of a sudden, but think of this as a real world test. You know in the field, you may have to do the same thing. If you think you might slip up, just use generic pronouns and descriptors. I know playing the pronoun game can get annoying, but it's better than exposure," Spencer explained. He had all of their full attention once he said real world. "We're doing all we can to catch whose been doing all this. The rest of my team is out working on it right now. The two agents with me, SSAs Derek Morgan and Jennifer Jareau are going to ask you guys questions--some in a group and some one on one--once they are done speaking with Trey. They are to be trusted with all information except for your missions and abilities. Holding anything else back will only hinder our work and make it take longer to stop all of this," Spencer explained.

"Now, who wants to see Gambit take on Dr. Reid?" Remy asked, motioning to the court. The kids started cheering and goading them on.

"We are on a case. We don't have time for games right now," Spencer said through thin lips. He furrowed his brow at Remy.

"Come now, _cher_. Dey are going to take a bit up dere." Remy put his goggles back on and took two sets of gear out of one of the lockers against the back wall. Spencer's arms were crossed and he was fiddling with his watch. Remy sauntered up to him and slowly, _very_ slowly, removed his trench coat. His grin only grew wider Spencer gave him elevator eyes before looking away and sighing.

“ _Pour moi_?” Remy asked. Spencer could feel him trying to charm him. In a huff, Spencer took off his watch and cardigan, grabbed Remy’s coat and cane, and put them in one of the lockers.

“Fine, just one round.”

They strapped on their gear and went over to the wall monitor. Spencer put in their names and stepped onto the court. All the kids put their goggles back on.

GAMBIT V. EURUS – Round 1 of 1

“Accept weapons?” the goggles prompted Remy. He swiped is arm to the right in front of him. A digital, glowing blue deck on cards appeared out in front of him. He grabbed them and shuffled. Spencer’s goggles asked his permission for Remy’s addition. He swiped right. Then Spencer’s screen asked him to accept weapons. He swiped right again, and two thin sticks appeared in front of him. He took one in each hand. In a fast hard swing on his arms, they unfolded; they were fans. Remy accepted his addition. Digital barriers appeared on the center line and then in random spots around the court—much like laser tag.

“Prepare for battle in 3…2…1—“

A green light flashed above them and the middle barrier dissipated. Spencer pushed down with the fans, moving air underneath him. He raised off the ground just enough to see over the wall he was tucked behind. No Remy in sight. He made a break for the next barrier. He saw Remy’s grin before he spotted the card flying at him, but he managed to send a small gust of wind toward him causing the card to lose momentum and burst on the floor. Spencer peered out from behind the wall just in time for a card to explode near his head.

“I thought you had better aim than that! Losing your touch?” Spencer yelled, smiling. He felt the air on the other side of the wall displacing. Spencer spun in a few circles with his fans out. A current formed around him only visible by his hair whipping up and around his head. He pushed out against the wall—fans extended—and it collapsed. Remy rolled out of the way behind what remained of the other side of the wall. Spencer tried to fire another attack, but Remy swiftly set off another card, forcing Spencer to the opposite side of the half-standing wall. “Y’r one to talk ‘bout aim, _cher_ ,” Remy purred low. Remy rolled again, this time to the opposite side of the now-pillar-like wall Spencer was shielded behind. A gust twirled up around the pillar rising them both in the air.

Spencer was making complicated movements with his arms, but the rest of him stayed still. Remy, on the other hand, was spinning in the wind. He tried to grip the ‘pillar’, but the wind was moving too fast for him to get a good grasp. As he started turning again, Remy shot off a charged card. Somehow it managed to hit the edge of one of Spencer’s fans. The wind died down and they both fell to the ground. Being tossed about in the air left Remy too unbalanced to land properly. He fell hard on his back. Spencer stood over him and pulled his fan back to his ear, but before he could execute his attack, Remy tangled their feet together, making Spencer fall—of course—directly on top of him.

PHYSICAL CONTACT – GAMBIT V. EURUS – FORFEIT

“Oof!” Spencer grunted when he hit. Their chest plates thudded against each other. The walls dropped down and they removed their goggles.

“I would have had you,” Spencer grumbled.

“Whatever y’ say, _cher_ ,” Remy said with a grin. He pulled on Spencer’s vest, bringing their lips together. Spencer tried to scramble up, but Remy held him tight. He kissed him for a few moments longer before letting him free.

The kids were enjoying the scene a bit too much with whistling and jeering at the two men. Remembering where he was, Spencer quickly stood and looked around the room and balcony. Thankfully, Morgan and JJ still seemed to be in Trey’s office. He let out a sigh before putting a hand out to Remy to help him up.

* * *

 

Prentiss and Rossi arrived at the church. It was a simple enough building: beige bricks, small windows around the red metal door, and a plain front. None of the ornamental details many churches on the east coast have—just looked like a store except for the neon cross in the window and the sign out front. One wall was covered in pictures of Ivy and her brother—as they knew from looking through his file—, flowers, and candles.

“Looks like the community is feeling their loss,” Prentiss said as she shut her door.

“Hopefully, they’re focused on comfort instead of vigilante justice. Hotch will do what he can with the media, but the thought is already in people’s heads,” Rossi said as they climbed the front step. “Hello?” he called into the empty sanctuary. The walked up the aisle to the pulpit and a man popped out from what looked like a supply closet.

“Hello there. What brings you to us?” The man asked. He wasn’t exactly standoffish, but they weren’t get a good vibe from his peering eyes.

“We’re with the FBI. We were hoping to speak with Pastor Legg.” They flashed their badges.

“Oh, oh. Oh. He’s—uh, well—he’s back in his office, but…” the man shifted his weight around and looked down a hallway. “He hasn’t been doing good, ya know? With all the…ya know? I guess you can follow me.” He went down the hallway without checking to see they were following. Rossi shrugged at Prentiss.

Pastor Legg’s office was simple, just like the rest of the church. Some bookshelves and filing cabinets. A basic wooden desk that seemed to have dropped out of 40’s office-chic with two folding chairs in front of it. Legg sat in a black, armless computer chair. Usually, his office was probably well-kept as seen by the lack of dust and books organized by author, then title. His grief, unfortunately, changed his office’s appearance. The curtains were drawn. There were plates and mugs strewn over his desk and balancing on top of certain books. His clothes were dingy—and not the usual clothes of a Pastor at his church. He wore a dark t-shirt and sweatpants. The scruff on his face compared to the clean-shaven man in the pictures hanging on the wall suggested he’d avoided a razor since he found out the news about his daughter.

“Was is it now?” Pastor Legg asked groggily. The door opening must have woken him. There were creases lining his face that could have been made by sleeping on his watch.

“Hello, Pastor Legg, we’re sorry to disturb you at a time like this—“ Rossi said before Legg cut him off.

“A time like this, huh? Even at a time like this can’t keep the vultures away! Damn press! What do you want this time?” Legg demanded. Prentiss noticed the liquor bottle on one of the filing cabinets—half empty.

“Pastor Legg, we’re from the FBI. We were hoping to ask you some questions,” Emily said, taking a step forward.

“FBI? Huh, at least _someone_ knows what they’re doing down at that damned station. DO you know how many times I went to the Chief about my son’s murder? But nothing ever came of it. Said there wasn’t any evidence to support the theories of a grieving father!”

“And what theories would those be?” Rossi asked. Legg motioned for them to both sit in the folding chairs.

* * *

 

“Thank you for having us here and explaining things,” JJ said as the all left Trey’s office. “But there’s still one thing I’m not too clear on: where does Spencer fit into all of this?” They reached the railing of the balcony and looked down on the court. Remy was on one side of it against four kids on the other side.

“You see the court down there?” Trey asked. “When Spencer was at MIT, he built that system—among other things here. He’s the reason we can safely let some of these kids explore their abilities.” He turned to look at the agents. Both of their brows were furrowed with their eyes focused on Spencer. He was on the bleachers with the kids, cheering on the match. He seemed comfortable around them, even as someone clapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

“What is that system?” Derek asked. Trey ducked into his office and came back with three sets of goggles.

“See for yourself.”

The heads up display turned on, showing the teams and their scores. GAMBIT – 5, YELLOW – 0. They could see the digital walls up around the court. A guy poked out from behind one and made a jerking motion with his hand. The walls on Remy’s side went sheer for a moment. Remy jumped out and sent a glowing, digital playing card at the kid. It exploded against his chest before he even had a chance to move. GAMBIT – 6, YELLOW 0.

“A training simulator?” JJ asked aloud.

“That’s one of the modes we use. There are different setups depending on what we are doing and what the powers are involved. It can go from one to twelve players depending on which courts are available. Of course, the Fons system can simulate sports too. The kids aren’t here to ‘train.’ They’re here for community and keeping out of trouble. So, we play basketball, volleyball, and pretty much anything else,” Trey explained.

_Is Reid a mutant?_ was the only thought running through both JJ and Derek’s minds.

The girl sitting next to Spencer wasn’t watching the match. She had a sketch book in her lap and her goggles were in between the two of them. She leaned over to Spencer and whispered something to him. He looked up at JJ, Morgan, and Trey. After sighing, he stood up and walked out onto the court. An energy ball came very close to hitting him before he clapped his hands twice. The entire court display dissipate not a moment later. All the heads up displays went dark so everyone took off their goggles. Trey motioned for JJ and Derek to go downstairs.

“Alright, guys! Agents Morgan and Jareau are done speaking with Trey. I need you to give them your utmost attention and respect. Leave your gear on; we don’t need any incidents or side conversations,” he aimed the last part at the girl he was sitting with. She nodded and begrudgingly put her goggles on her head. All the kids took seats on the bleachers and kept their goggles resting on their heads. Remy and Spencer removed all their gear and collected their belongings from the locker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments. Also, where do you guys think this is going? <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team reunites and delivers the profile.

JJ and Morgan interviewed the kids: first all together, and then they took some of them one at a time into one of the study rooms off of the main gym. While they were taking the first kid to interview, Remy and Spencer took their chance to slip into the pool. They removed their shoes—Spencer, his converse, and Remy, his boots—and socks. They rolled up their pants before sitting carefully down next to each other on the edge of the pool. Spencer plopped his feet into the water whereas Remy gently slid them in. They kicked their feet, moving the water around them languidly. The only sound in the room was the lapping of the water against the edge and the soft slurping of the filter. They sat for a while in comfortable silence with Remy occasionally trying to splash at Spencer, who moved the water away with tiny pushes of air before they could get his clothes soaked.

“Carlie was listening in on JJ and Morgan,” Spencer said.

“Dat _femme_ needs to learn some boundaries. She can’t just jump into any person’s mind without repercussions and she don’t need to find dat out de hard way on de streets,” Remy replied. There was no surprise in his voice.

“All they were thinking while Trey was explaining the Fons was ‘is Spencer a mutant’?” Spencer whispered. He dropped his head and braced himself against his palms on the edge of the pool.

“Oh, _cher_ ,” Remy breathed out. He wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer.

“I knew this was going to happen eventually, but…”Spencer trailed off. His eyes were starting to burn. Spencer hated being so emotional. “I love my life with the BAU. They’re like my family. I don’t—I don’t want to _lose_ them.” Remy sent out waves of love to Spencer, hoping to help keep him together. They were alone for now, but that could quickly change.

“Shh, shh, shh. It’s alright, _mon cher_. It’s alright. Not’ing has ‘appened yet. No need to work y’rself up. Y’ know dey don’t discriminate against our kind. Why would dat be any different wit y’, someone dey see as family too?” Remy asked him while he ran his fingers through Spencer’s hair. Spencer side-hugged Remy back, clinging to his side. He sniffled. Remy’s emotions wrapped him in a cocoon of love and warm.

“B-because I’ve been lying to them for so long. And the Bureau doesn’t allow mutants under the claim of national security! Them finding me out wouldn’t only take away my career and my family, but it would also discredit any work I did on _any_ case. All the terrible people I’ve helped put away could ask for a retrial. That’s so many cases—so many monsters,” Spencer sobbed out against Remy’s chest. Remy kissed the top of his head over and over again.

“For now, just focus on being ‘ere at ‘ome, _d’accord_?”

* * *

 

“How did it go with Legg?” Hotch greeted Emily and David when they came back into the station.

“Well, it seems the Chief hasn’t been as forthcoming with information as she originally said,” David said once they were in the conference room.

“That doesn’t surprise me one bit. The Chief’s politics are more important than actually protecting people,” Detective Douglas chimed in with a sneer.

“Apparently, Pastor Legg has come down here on multiple occasions to speak with her about his son’s murder, but the Chief chalked every word of it to the riddled mind of a grieving father,” Emily explained. “Too bad the Chief was wrong and the Pastor’s theories make a lot of sense.” Rossi jumped in to elaborate: “Odd men he’d never seen before had started coming to the services, but only when his son was giving part of the sermon. They always stuck around after, but didn’t mingle. When Legg tried to introduce himself and give them the church’s welcome they left without saying a word. In the next few weeks, his son told him he didn’t want to give anymore sermons without any sort of explanation. He became distant and closed-off. He went from school to the youth center and home. That was it. Until he showed up dead in an alleyway all the way across town.”

“Sounds like something scared him,” Detective Douglas said.

“And rightfully so.” Hotch picked up his phone and hit seven—Reid’s speed dial number.

“ _Dr. Spencer Reid’s phone_.” He recognized the accent as the man from the alley.

“This is Agent Hotchner. I’m looking for Reid. Could you put him on?”

“ _De homme is a tad busy at de moment._ _Could y’ leave ‘im a message? They’ll be back at de station soon. Der just wrappin’ up.”_

“Alright then,” Hotch said, skeptical. “Tell them they have 30 minutes. We need to debrief and give the profile.”

* * *

 

“You can’t smoke in here,” Spencer chided Remy as he lit a cigarette and rolled his window down.

“Why is dat?”

“Because this is a Federal vehicle. Besides, secondhand smoke is kind of a big deal.” Remy rolled his eyes before holding it out the window, waiting, and then letting it go. Once it was out of his hands it popped.

“Better?” Spencer smiled at him and nodded.

“Reid, do you really have to take such harsh turns? You’re killing me back here!” Morgan snapped from the back. His tone lost its edge being muffled by the hood.

“Don’t’ worry. We’re almost back.”

Within five minutes Reid parked the car next to the other BAU car in the back lot behind the station. Remy and Reid told JJ and Morgan to stay put as they got out of the car. They walked up to the front to meet each other, facing away from the building. Remy put his hand on Spencer’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Are y’ sure y’ don’t want Remy to ‘elp y’ wit dis? It’s no problem.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I can handle it though if you get a call from me please pick up,” Spencer whispered.

“Of course, _cher_. I’m ‘ere for y’.” He cupped the young agent’s face in his hands. “No matter what ‘appens, _I_ will be ‘ere for y’.” Spencer leaned into his touch and let out a breath he didn’t know he was keeping in.

“You should probably get going. I know you have a lot to get done tonight. I told you the geographical profile, so you should look around the middle of that. And please, please, please be careful! I expect regular texts so I can know you’re safe, okay?” Remy smirked before leaning in and pressing a kiss against Spencer’s forehead.

“ _Je t’aime_.” Spencer opened his eyes to see Remy rounding the corner with a wink. He turned back to the car to see JJ and Morgan watching him.

“Fuck!” He whispered to himself.

“So, you brought them to a mutant training facility?” Emily asked outright after JJ and Morgan debriefed the team.

“No, it’s not a training facility. It’s a community center with a very specific community. You guys know the kind of attention troubled teens need. Now, apply that to mutants exhibiting powers for the first time. They need attention and guidance,” Spencer defended. No one retorted, but he could tell they hadn’t pushed Emily’s comment aside.

Douglas knocked before opening the door to the conference room.

“Hey, everybody is gathered for the profile. Warning though: most of ‘em out there aren’t gunna take this too seriously once you mention mutants.”

They all stood in front of the squad and started explaining who they thought they were looking for and why: a group of three to four men in their late twenties to mid-thirties with a deep hatred for mutants which could be for multiple reasons—religion, bad run-ins in the past, or self-hatred for being mutants themselves. Nobody there seemed interested in what they were saying until they suggested they _could_ be looking for mutants.

“Now, this is NOT a man hunt for mutants. As we said, it is a possibility, but not the only one available. We need each of you to keep your heads about this.” Hotch sternly reminded them all. “No matter what, these men are dangerous and organized. We believe there is a leader older than the rest of the members most likely in his 40s to 50s. The torture levels and criminal sophistication of these crimes lead us to believe that the leader and possibly some of the members are familiar with crime and violence—most likely with priors.”

After the team finished, the Chief took all the officers aside to give them their assignments. They could hear the grumbles from the anti-mutant officers, which the Chief didn’t squelch, so they soon became full-on conversation about “getting those mutated bastard” and “giving them what they deserve for being freaks.” Spencer quickly walked back to the conference room.

He stepped back up to the map of the city he had abandon earlier and continued working on his geographical profile—with the location of the MYC in mind. He tapped the EXPO marker on his collarbone as he thought and examined the map.

Out in the bullpen, Hotch was about to calm the officers down, but his phone started ringing. He glanced at the caller ID and stepped outside before answering.

“What do you have for me, Garcia?” He asked.

“Well, sir, I have two things for you. Firstly, I looked up the GPS on the car Reid and everyone took and it looks like it never left the parking lot, so he and this Gambit or whatever either never left of they took the tracker off the vehicle. They must really not want that place found.”

“Thank you, Garcia. I knew it was a long shot. Have you found out anything about Gambit in Las Vegas recently?”

“That’s the second part. So, last night you all checked into your rooms and whatnot. Well, I convinced the front desk at your hotel that we need their videotapes for secret official stuff. Turns out, this Gambit arrived there and went into the casino about ten minutes before you guys went in, but that’s not even the weird part! After you all got your keys, Reid stayed behind and went into the casino where he sat down with Gambit to play cards. After an hour or so of playing they left and cashed in their _hundreds of dollars in chips,_ like Reid better be giving me a swanky present for my birthday, before going up the Reid’s room. And I’m not done! Gambit didn’t leave until ten minutes after you guys left for the station this morning!”

“Garcia, this needs to be kept between us. I will talk to Reid about this, alright?”

“Uh, yes sir, mister boss man!”

Hotch hung up the phone and headed back into the station, not stopping until he reached the conference room door. He paused before slowly stepping in. The whole team was in the room. Everyone was sitting at the table expect for Reid who was engrossed with the evidence board.

“What are we thinking?” He asked the room.

“Where could these guys met and gotten the skills to pull this off?” Morgan asked. “The crime scene Reid and I went to was in the middle of the strip, surrounded by cameras, but they managed to avoid them—and eyewitnesses—while dumping the body. That’s not something you can luck your way into doing.”

“And where could they be keeping high-risk kids for such an extended period of time without anyone noticing anything? Especially with torture going on,” JJ offered.

“This feels professional.” Emily stated, stepping up next to Reid at the board.

“There’s always the desert,” Reid said softly. “But loud music and people are very common in Vegas. It wouldn’t be too difficult to cover up screams—if it was the right time of day. And that way they wouldn’t be putting themselves at greater risk by bringing a body back from the desert.”

“So, inside the geographical profile—that I’m hoping you’re done with—what are the loudest most party-heavy locations?” Rossi asked.

“The Strip,” Reid sighed.

“That’s a lot of ground to cover.” Emily dialed Garcia.

 _“_ What is it, my lovelies?”

“Hey, Pen, are there any vacant buildings on the Strip?” JJ asked.

“I can’t imagine the Strip being vacant for very long. Kinda a busy area. Aaaaaaand! Yup, there aren’t any current vacancies.”

“In the last ten months have there been any up for sale that aren’t currently doing any business?” Reid asked.

“187, you deserve a raise! There is exactly one building that fits that description that is right next to the fountain where the last victim was found. I have sent the address to all of your phones!”

“Thank you, Baby Girl.”

“Stay safe, my loves. Watch out for mutant powers of evil and stuff!”

Reid whipped out his phone and dialed a number.

“Hey, where are you right now?”

They team watched Spencer as he paced and listened to the person on the other line.

“How fast can you get to the building next to the last dump site?”

There was a short pause.

“See you there in six.” Reid hung up his phone before stuffing it back in his pocket.

“Reid, you can’t just invite Gambit to come make a bust with us. This is official business,” Morgan said, stepping up to him.

“Unless you all have mutant abilities that I’m unaware of, we need him with us. In order for these people to have subdued all the kids, they would need the capabilities. Capabilities that non-mutants don’t really have,” Reid spat out. He stepped right up to Morgan in a defiant stance that none of them had ever seen him take before.

“I don’t like the idea of having someone untrained that we don’t trust in there, but if we don’t at least have him on standby, we could be taking a very high risk,” Hotch said to the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It means the world to me! <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gambit and Hotchner lay down the rules, if they are going to get to the bottom of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took me forever to write! Hopefully I'll get the ball rolling on this again. Hope you enjoy! Just a little chapter to get back into the swing of things.

They stopped just off the strip in an alley a block away from the fountain. Everyone jumped out to get geared up. Douglas watched as they strapped on vests. He tagged along, but none of the other officers knew what they were up to. Having officers currently on a mutant-manhunt would only escalate anything that happened (if anything happens). The team still doesn’t know if this place is where their Unsubs have been holding out. They waited while Garcia dug up the current owners.

“So, what’s de plan?”

The team hadn’t seen Remy come up to them. He had changed his clothes; he was still wearing the long trench coat, but his shirt had been replaced by a chiseled chest plate with detailed pectorals, abs, and so on. Although the alley was dark, especially with the lack of daylight, he kept his sunglasses on.

“Before you’re further involved in this investigation, I need to know your intentions,” Hotch said after stepping up to Remy. Douglas looked between the two of them with furrowed brows. Emily leaned over and whispered a simple and mostly true explanation.

“Gambit’s ‘ere to make sure y’all don’t get y’rselves killed while tryin’ to put away de people dat are killin’ dese kids,” he said, motioning to the team with his cane.

“I can’t have you going in there without proper training, especially when you are clearly here for revenge,” Hotch said.

“Gambit thought y’d ‘ave done y’r research on _moi_ by now. ‘Cause if y’ ‘ad, y’d know me skills, training, ‘n know dat dis ain’t ‘bout revenge,” Remy said with a step closer to Hotch.

“Oh, don’t worry. We’ve done the research. If Reid wasn’t backing you on this I’d have you in an interrogation room by now.”

Reid was standing against one of the SUVs. His head was down. He was fidgeting with his watch and occasionally peeking up at Hotch and Remy--shoulders hunched forward.

“Hate to interrupt, but I’ve found some things you might find helpful,” Garcia said via video on Morgan’s tablet.

“What do you have for us, baby girl?” He asked. Everyone circled around to listen better.

“Well, I’ve dug up some information on the property.”

“Is it something that can get us through the door?” Prentiss asked.

“Do I ever disappoint? Please don’t answer that. It just so happens that this little Governor’s son has fallen into a trap many rich people find themselves caught in: taxes. He hasn’t paid up to the Man meaning the Man can bust down his door! The Man being you guys. Federal jurisdiction and all that,” Garcia rambled off.

“Good work, Garcia,” Hotch said.

“Did ye ‘appen t’ come across de layout of de place in y’r searches. cher?” Remy asked. He leaned on his cane hard.

“Mr. Cajun-Beauty, it just so happens that the blueprints of the building found their way onto everyone’s tablets as of now,” she playfully responded with tapping of keys in the background.

Reid shuffled about in his bag before handing his tablet to Remy. He opened up the blueprints and took off his sunglasses to see better, but kept his head down. The rest of the team did the same.

“Only two floors are owned by Keets. The rest of the building is chopped up as other businesses and so on,” Garcia explained.

“It’s mostly likely that they’d keep them on the second floor. It’d be much harder for anyone to escape,” Rossi offered. The team worked out a plan of entry, Morgan doing most of the talking. Remy stood back and took it all in. _Guess they know what they’re doing_ , he thought. While everyone checked their gear, Remy slipped Reid his fans. Reid looked at him with both fear and bewilderment in his eyes.

“I’d rather ‘ave ye at your best, _cher_ ,” Remy whispered. “Just in case.”

Hotch came up to them after Reid tucked the fans away. “I don't know what’s going on between the two of you, how you know each other, or why you’re spending the night together, but right now all I care about is that you won’t jeopardize my team or this investigation,” Hotch whispered with a stone cold tone, arms crossed.

“Gambit’ll do what needs t’ be done t’ get des kids de justice dey deserve, on your terms, ‘otchner. Dis ain’t ‘bout _moi_ nor Spencer, _d’accord_?” Remy responded. He lifted his head to face Hotch dead on. His red eyes meeting Hotch’s cold brown ones. Hotch unfolded his arms and extended his hand. Remy switched his cane to his left and shook hands. Spencer swallowed hard.

* * *

 

Morgan tried the handle on the side door. Nothing. He stepped back and kicked. It splintered away from the jam, allowing he, JJ, and Gambit entrance. Morgan swung his gun up and stepped in. JJ followed, checking behind the door. Gambit held his cards close to his chest, cane still in his other hand. He wasn’t happy to be in the back, but Morgan wouldn’t budge. He thought Gambit needed the protection. They worked down the hall past two rooms, which JJ checked.

At the front of the building, Hotch busted in the glass door with Reid and Emily on his tail. Rossi and Detective Douglas were checking for points of escape through the adjacent business and floors.

Within minutes, they all had made their way to the back room where the staircase to the next floor was waiting for them. The one thing that Hotch had bent on during their plan of attack was that the since the second floor was the most likely place to have mutants, Gambit would be going first. Sadly for Hotch and Morgan, Gambit would only do so if Reid was the one on his six. Trust issues, he claimed. For the sake of safety, Hotch had to agree. Morgan wouldn't agree to any of this until Reid convinced Gambit to let him follow up behind.

JJ stepped back to radio Rossi that they had cleared the first floor and to see if he and Douglas had found anything.

Reid nodded to Gambit, gun held ready to his side. Morgan filed behind them as they ascended.

The second floor was dead silent. All the could hear were their footsteps and the muffled noises of the team moving around downstairs. When they reached the second floor landing, they saw why everything was so quiet. A large metal door blocked everything off. Gambit stepped up and tried the heavy latch. He peaked through the crack before nodding to Morgan and Reid. He opened the door fully and stepped through with Reid on his heels.

_SLAM!_

Morgan almost fell back down the staircase as the large door slammed shut once the other two were through. After regaining his balance, he ran to the latch and pulled. It didn't even budge a centimeter.

"Reid?" Morgan whispered a bit too loudly. His voice giving way to his panic. "Reid, what happened?"

He waited, but no noise came from the other side.

* * *

“Can you see anything?” Spencer whispered as they skirted around the edge of the dark room.

He hoped closing the door hadn’t gained any attention, but he’d been louder than he had expected. 

Remy’s sunglasses were tucked into his coat and his cards already in hand. “Dis room is clear. Der are two doors over der,” he said.

Spencer holstered his gun before pulling out his fans. He opened them slowly to make sure they didn’t make any noise. He flanked Remy as he led them to the first doorway. He leaned forward to take a peek inside and quickly leaned back out of sight. He held up two fingers close enough to Spencer’s face so he could see. 

His head snapped back when there was a loud crash against the door they’d pinned closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comments. Kudos are greatly appreciated.
> 
> Feel free to come chat with me on [tumblr](http://achilleanragnor.tumblr.com/). I'm in the midst of nanowrimo and am always up for prompts!


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